[VillageIdiots]

I'm moving down to TV as a permanent resident in a couple of weeks. I'm renting a CYV in Dunedin for a few months while I search for a new home. One of the things I'm most excited about is the opportunity to play ball again as I am from a very rural area that abandoned adult softball leagues years ago. I'm calling my move "pre-tirement" as I still work full time but am able to work from my home. So, I'm not yet sure if I could work out participating in the rec leagues with games being held on weekdays. I have a few questions, if you all don't mind, about how to get into a neighborhood league.

I guess, first, what is the process for getting in? Do I sign up for tryout/evaluation at a softball complex or rec center or something?

Would I be able to get in in the middle of a "season" or do I need to wait for one to start?

Is it worth trying to get in relative to the neighborhood I'm renting in, or wait until I have a permanent neighborhood? Or maybe a better way to ask is - what is the process if you start in one neighborhood but you move to another during a season?

[biker1]

Th following website will start you off with some information and possibly answer some/all of your questions. Basicly, your need to attend three evaluations and be evaluated as a 1,2,3,4, or 5 player and then you can hook up with a neighborhood and/or rec team, or be a substitute.

I recommend you do some throwing, running, and stretching before evaluations if you haven't been doing these in a while.

Softball Information

Originally Posted by VillageIdiots

I'm moving down to TV as a permanent resident in a couple of weeks. I'm renting a CYV in Dunedin for a few months while I search for a new home. One of the things I'm most excited about is the opportunity to play ball again as I am from a very rural area that abandoned adult softball leagues years ago. I'm calling my move "pre-tirement" as I still work full time but am able to work from my home. So, I'm not yet sure if I could work out participating in the rec leagues with games being held on weekdays. I have a few questions, if you all don't mind, about how to get into a neighborhood league.

I guess, first, what is the process for getting in? Do I sign up for tryout/evaluation at a softball complex or rec center or something?

Would I be able to get in in the middle of a "season" or do I need to wait for one to start?

Is it worth trying to get in relative to the neighborhood I'm renting in, or wait until I have a permanent neighborhood? Or maybe a better way to ask is - what is the process if you start in one neighborhood but you move to another during a season?

[VillageIdiots]

Thanks for the link. So, it sounds like the initial process is the same, regardless of what league someone wants to play in? And, after completion of evaluation, you are eligible to sign up to be a sub in that league/level until the next season or draft rounds begin?

The evaluation process appears to be thorough/extensive, which I have no problem with. Can anyone provide an idea of what skills and drills are used during the evaluation process? Other than the general obvious things - throw, catch, hit?

[biker1]

Yes, you must go through the evaluation process regardless of which leagues(s) you wish to play in. As soon as you finish the evaluation, you can become a priority sub (since you haven't had a chance to hook up with a team). Generally, your first opportunity to hook up with a team will be at the beginning of the next season. There are 3 seasons each year.

The evaluators will look at your fielding, hitting, throwing, and running skills (I don't think they want you running too hard as it leads to injuries but I believe they want to see how mobile you are). You will have the opportunity to express which position you prefer and the fielding drills will be directed to those positions (i.e. fly balls for the outfield, ground balls for infield positions). I found the process to be fun.

Originally Posted by VillageIdiots

Thanks for the link. So, it sounds like the initial process is the same, regardless of what league someone wants to play in? And, after completion of evaluation, you are eligible to sign up to be a sub in that league/level until the next season or draft rounds begin?

The evaluation process appears to be thorough/extensive, which I have no problem with. Can anyone provide an idea of what skills and drills are used during the evaluation process? Other than the general obvious things - throw, catch, hit?

[tagjr1]

Do yourself a favor and start walking/running to get the legs back in shape. You will be glad you did the day after evals!

[VillageIdiots]

Revisiting this thread now that I'm here in TV. I noticed in the Rec news that evaluations were to be at Buffalo Glen this morning from 8 to 10. I didn't have time to go participate but I wanted to swing by and at least check it out. I got there around 9, or a little after, and the only souls in site were 3 ladies waiting for their league play to start. Are there signups for the evaluations or do I just show up? Also, any info as to how one "hooks up" with a team once 3 evals have been completed? I'll probably need to start off in neighborhood play. I will be living in Fenney and have no idea if they even have any NHL teams yet at this point.

[spring_chicken]

It is the off season right now. Evals will be held next Tuesday as the new season starts Monday.

[VillageIdiots]

Originally Posted by spring_chicken

It is the off season right now. Evals will be held next Tuesday as the new season starts Monday.

Are you saying evaluations will resume next Tuesday and will be weekly for a while? If not, how can I find out when they are being held and when they aren't, if the rec news doesn't accurately reflect it? I will be out of town next week, so can it be assumed there will be evals the following Tues as well?

Also, still looking for info on how to connect with NHL teams. At the link someone gave above, there is no link out to a site for NHL's.

[spring_chicken]

Yes, they will be weekly until the end of summer season.
You don't really have to contact a neighborhood team. They will assign you to your neighborhood team if there is one in the division you are evaluated to. If not, you can get assigned to another team. Ask at evals. Many people play on teams for neighborhoods they don't live in. I was approached to join a team that needed another player. I was able to because my neighborhood doesn't have a team in my division.

[VillageIdiots]

Originally Posted by spring_chicken

Yes, they will be weekly until the end of summer season.
You don't really have to contact a neighborhood team. They will assign you to your neighborhood team if there is one in the division you are evaluated to. If not, you can get assigned to another team. Ask at evals. Many people play on teams for neighborhoods they don't live in. I was approached to join a team that needed another player. I was able to because my neighborhood doesn't have a team in my division.

Thanks for the info. I can't find where I read this but it seems I remember it from somewhere with respect to equipment. Did I read that bats are provided for NHL teams? So, all I will need is a glove and some appropriate shoes?

[John_W]

Thanks for the info. I can't find where I read this but it seems I remember it from somewhere with respect to equipment. Did I read that bats are provided for NHL teams? So, all I will need is a glove and some appropriate shoes?

The Neighborhood league you'll get a T-shirt and a hat from the manager and they'll charge your $20 to $30 depending on what they have spent. You provide your shoes (no metal spikes) and glove and batting gloves if you like, the leagues provides aluminum bats and balls and umpires. The teams will provide scorekeepers for the game played before your game, those will be part of the schedule given out at the beginning of the season. The manager will determine who scorekeeps, my last manager and his wife performed the scorekeeping everytime, they loved being at the ball park.

I played 15 seasons in a row of neighborhood league (there are 3 seasons of 14 games a year), from fall of '11 to summer of '16 I played and then I had to quit because of COPD. During that time I played for Calument Grove, Tamarind Grove, St. Charles and Ameila. Sometimes your village might have a level 5 and a level 3 team such as Tamarind Grove, but your rated level 4 like myself, so you would play for another village. During the summer when Tamarind Grove had a level 4 team we didn't have enough players that season, so I played two summers for St. Charles. When I first started Tamarind Grove didn't have a team at all since it was new, so I played for Calument Grove. There are many reasons to play for different teams.

Each league and each level of league will have a sheet you must fill out that is a different color. For example a neighborhood level 4 player will fill out a blue sheet. When you finish evaluation and find out your level, you will need to go to Saddlebrook Rec Center and in by the reception desk you'll find all the appropriate colored sheets, find the one for you and fill it out and put it in the box. The day after I filled mine out I had 3 managers call me the next day, 2 were Rec Managers that I wasn't even applying for and one was a neighborhood manager because he knew Tamarind Grove didn't have a team.

[John_W]

Normally the Wednesday edition of the Sun will have the scores and standings of the neighborhood leagues, but since we're in the 3 week break between seasons right now you'll have to wait until they start back. That will give you an idea of what villages have teams. The summer is the slowest season with less teams. In the winter months I've had games as late as 2:00 and in the summer usually 12:00 is the latest. Here's a link to Neighborhood 4 schedules for the upcoming summer season. Just click on a team and you'll see their schedule.

The Villages Neighborhood Division 4 Softball League

[VillageIdiots]

Originally Posted by John_W

The Neighborhood league you'll get a T-shirt and a hat from the manager and they'll charge your $20 to $30 depending on what they have spent. You provide your shoes (no metal spikes) and glove and batting gloves if you like, the leagues provides aluminum bats and balls and umpires. The teams will provide scorekeepers for the game played before your game, those will be part of the schedule given out at the beginning of the season. The manager will determine who scorekeeps, my last manager and his wife performed the scorekeeping everytime, they loved being at the ball park.

I played 15 seasons in a row of neighborhood league (there are 3 seasons of 14 games a year), from fall of '11 to summer of '16 I played and then I had to quit because of COPD. During that time I played for Calument Grove, Tamarind Grove, St. Charles and Ameila. Sometimes your village might have a level 5 and a level 3 team such as Tamarind Grove, but your rated level 4 like myself, so you would play for another village. During the summer when Tamarind Grove had a level 4 team we didn't have enough players that season, so I played two summers for St. Charles. When I first started Tamarind Grove didn't have a team at all since it was new, so I played for Calument Grove. There are many reasons to play for different teams.

Each league and each level of league will have a sheet you must fill out that is a different color. For example a neighborhood level 4 player will fill out a blue sheet. When you finish evaluation and find out your level, you will need to go to Saddlebrook Rec Center and in by the reception desk you'll find all the appropriate colored sheets, find the one for you and fill it out and put it in the box. The day after I filled mine out I had 3 managers call me the next day, 2 were Rec Managers that I wasn't even applying for and one was a neighborhood manager because he knew Tamarind Grove didn't have a team.

Great info! Thank you very much. I'd love to play rec league and will eventually find a way to work it out. But I still work full time. I work from home and have a somewhat flexible schedule, but I do travel from time to time and I'd be concerned about missing too many games beyond my control. My understanding is that you are only allowed to miss so many games in a season in the rec leagues.

Sounds like I'm too late for the upcoming season but that allows me some time to get my evaluations done. I am out of town next Tuesday and moving into my new home the Tuesday after. But I'm looking forward to getting back into the "swing".

[VillageIdiots]

Originally Posted by John_W

Normally the Wednesday edition of the Sun will have the scores and standings of the neighborhood leagues, but since we're in the 3 week break between seasons right now you'll have to wait until they start back. That will give you an idea of what villages have teams. The summer is the slowest season with less teams. In the winter months I've had games as late as 2:00 and in the summer usually 12:00 is the latest. Here's a link to Neighborhood 4 schedules for the upcoming summer season. Just click on a team and you'll see their schedule.

The Villages Neighborhood Division 4 Softball League

Interesting and helpful - thank you. I was curious about what happens if your neighborhood doesn't have a team. So I'm glad to see teams like "Villages South". I was concerned, for example, that Fenney may not yet have enough residents yet to field teams in all divisions, if any.

[John_W]

Evaluations should pick up next Tuesday and every Tuesday after that except for the last two weeks in August. I had that problem when I moved here, got in one evaluation and then had to wait for September. They close the fields to everyone the in between period in August to do any repairs that are needed. Just be there at 7:30 and follow along. Running, throwing, catching and pitching if you like you'll be doing and they'll be watching. Pitching is always the one position in need, and I've seen guys move up one whole division if they were a good pitcher.

Rec League you'll have to buy you're own bat, it's a Mika bat and costs about $200 and they are breakable. There is a Tuesday afternoon league called RBL, Restricted Bat League, it has division 1 thru 4 mixed together on the same teams but you use aluminum bats. The bats you can buy and they are better than the ones you get in neighborhood league. I bought mine at Dick's for $70, you can have 2 piece aluminum bats. The games are usually about 2:00 and 3:30. I played one season and it was an eye-opener. Playing shortstop I never had balls hit to me as hard as in the league during 5 years of SS in neighborhood league. I had one bruise that lasted months. You might try RBL out to get a taste of playing with higher levels. They haven't had any games the last summer or two, you might have to wait until fall season.